this post was submitted on 30 Nov 2023
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You ever see a dog that's got its leash tangled the long way round a table leg, and it just cannot grasp what the problem is or how to fix it? It can see all the components laid out in front of it, but it's never going to make the connection.

Obviously some dog breeds are smarter than others, ditto individual dogs - but you get the concept.

Is there an equivalent for humans? What ridiculously simple concept would have aliens facetentacling as they see us stumble around and utterly fail to reason about it?

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[–] Gabu@lemmy.world 9 points 11 months ago* (last edited 11 months ago)

This is a paradoxical question with no possible answer. If we're to dumb to grasp it, how could we possibly know that it is in fact simple? Quantum mechanics may well be "the simplest thing" for an alien race, yet none of us would think our inability to fully comprehend it is a sign of stupidity.

[–] intensely_human@lemm.ee 8 points 11 months ago (2 children)

The past and the future do not exist

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[–] lvxferre@lemmy.ml 5 points 11 months ago* (last edited 11 months ago) (34 children)

Infinity. We're simply too dumb to grasp it. Example:

3*(1/3) = 3/3 = 1
3*(1/3) = 3*(0.333...) = 0.999...
0.999... = 1

That "..." means "it continues to the infinite". And yet when you show this reasoning to people, they keep "looking" for the last 9, to claim that 0.999... is not the exact same as 1.

And that applies to all humans. You might counter it rationally, you might train yourself to recognise "it's infinite, so theoretically it'll behave in a certain way", but you don't grasp it. I don't, either.

[–] owenfromcanada@lemmy.world 4 points 11 months ago (2 children)

My "easier" way to think of this one:

1 - 0.999... = 0

That is, if you subtract 0.999... from 1, what is the result? It's an infinitely small value, which can only logically be expressed by 0.

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[–] bluGill@kbin.social 5 points 11 months ago (2 children)

Unintended consequences. People like to propose grand schemes that will "fix everything", but refuse to accept that there are downsides to that grand scheme.

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[–] Nemo@midwest.social 4 points 11 months ago

That why someone behaves a certain way is only important inasmuch as it determines whether they'll keep behaving that way.

Examples:

  • Criminals don't need to be punished but rehabilitated; because blame and guilt aren't important; recidivism is.

  • Your lover might have all sorts of reasons they love you, and some of those may seem very romantic and some might seem as unromantic as can be. But as long as they will keep living you, that's what's important.

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